David Larson still recalls the moment he challenged conventional thinking inside Thomson Reuters. A shared services team in Hyderabad, long viewed as transactional, held untapped potential. Rather than accept the status quo, Larson pushed to integrate the team into the broader finance function—despite resistance tied to time zones and skepticism. The effort required planning, persuasion, and patience, but ultimately reshaped how the organization operated.

That moment reflects a career defined less by linear progression and more by deliberate expansion. Larson began in tax at Ernst & Young before pivoting into M&A, where he “didn’t know anything about valuing companies” (tells us). Over two decades, he developed a deep understanding of how businesses function end-to-end, leading due diligence, integrations, and go-to-market alignment.

His willingness to step into the unfamiliar—relocating internationally, raising his hand for new roles, and moving beyond corporate development—enabled him to broaden into enterprise leadership. At Thomson Reuters, he progressed through finance leadership roles before becoming Chief Strategy Officer, gaining a long-term view of growth and competitive positioning.

Today, as CFO of Feedzai, Larson applies these lessons to an AI-driven business where trust and execution are paramount. He emphasizes that finance leaders must understand “how companies operate…from A to Z” (tells us), pairing data discipline with business insight.

For Larson, the CFO role has evolved beyond numbers. It is about shaping strategy, guiding investment, and helping organizations see the business clearly—end-to-end.

In this special third installment of Suite Voices, featuring general counsels from The L Suite, Laura Belmont explores how organizations can adopt AI responsibly while balancing speed with strategic direction. Building on insights from earlier episodes, she emphasizes that AI success depends on aligning usage with business goals and governance frameworks—not just rapid deployment. Belmont highlights early risks such as “shadow AI” and underscores the importance of CFO–GC collaboration in evaluating financial and legal exposure. She also stresses continuous training and vendor scrutiny, while looking ahead to a future where GCs act as systems architects embedding accountability into AI-driven decision-making.

Tom DiDesidero describes a period when SmartRecruiters was actively taking customers from a much larger competitor. It wasn’t just momentum—it was proof. “We were stealing a lot of their customers,” DiDesidero tells us, describing how that traction became a defining signal of value.

At the same time, SmartRecruiters was moving quickly on a new front. “We were really the first mover in the embedded AI product,” DiDesidero tells us, emphasizing that speed and execution—not perfection—mattered most. The team brought its AI platform to market early, leaning on strong customer relationships and credibility. Beta users quickly became paying customers, reinforcing that the strategy was working.

This combination—customer momentum and early AI execution—positioned SmartRecruiters as more than just a product. It became a strategic asset. “It’s important… it’s not just the theory, it’s the execution,” DiDesidero tells us. That distinction ultimately shaped how SAP evaluated the opportunity.

Still, the deal itself was only the beginning. Integration, he explains, is where value is realized. “You keep being you. Don’t let our bureaucracy slow you down,” DiDesidero tells us, recalling the message from SAP leadership.

Six months in, the reality is nuanced. “It’s a mixture of progress and pain every day,” he tells us. Yet, for DiDesidero, the differentiator remains the people—teams committed to building, adapting, and pushing forward.

In his view, success at scale isn’t just about strategy or technology—it’s about sustaining the behaviors that made growth possible in the first place.